1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a digital camera and an image processing system, and more specifically, it relates to a technology that may be adopted to generate an image by correcting an image blur.
2. Description of Related Art
The following methods have been proposed in the related art to be adopted in a camera to correct an image blur.    (1) A blur correction optical system is internally provided in the photographic optical system of the camera and a movement of the camera caused by an unsteady hand is detected with a movement detector. In correspondence to the detected camera movement, the blur correction optical system is moved during an image-capturing operation. Thus, the occurrence of an image blur caused by the camera movement is prevented.    (2) A movement of the camera caused by an unsteady hand is detected with a movement detector and recorded during an image-capturing operation. Based upon the movement information that has been recorded, the captured image is processed. Through this process, the image manifesting a blur is corrected.    (3) A plurality of images is continuously captured and changes manifesting in the plurality of images are detected through pattern matching or the like. The plurality of images are synthesized based upon the changes in the images that have been detected to generate an image in which any image blur is corrected.
However, the first method described above requires the movement detector for detecting movements of the camera caused by an unsteady hand and a mechanical moving system for moving the blur correction optical system in order to correct the resulting blur, giving rise to problems such as an increase in the size of the camera and an increase in the production costs.
In addition, an image blur resulting from a movement of the subject during the exposure operation cannot be corrected through the first and second methods in which a movement of the camera is detected with the movement detector and the image blur is corrected based upon the detection results. While blurring manifesting in a plurality of images can be corrected through the third method, an image blur occurring as a single image is being exposed cannot be corrected through this method.